diff --git a/gitnexus/src/cli/index.ts b/gitnexus/src/cli/index.ts
index 67b34387a..e76144525 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/cli/index.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/cli/index.ts
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ program
   .option('-g, --goal <text>', 'What you want to find')
   .option('-l, --limit <n>', 'Max processes to return (default: 5)')
   .option('--content', 'Include full symbol source code')
+  .option('--include-tests', 'Include test files in results (default: false, matching impact)')
   .action(createLbugLazyAction(() => import('./tool.js'), 'queryCommand'));
 
 program
diff --git a/gitnexus/src/cli/tool.ts b/gitnexus/src/cli/tool.ts
index 0e70c3970..5aefc8967 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/cli/tool.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/cli/tool.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export async function queryCommand(
     goal?: string;
     limit?: string;
     content?: boolean;
+    includeTests?: boolean;
   },
 ): Promise<void> {
   if (!queryText?.trim()) {
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ export async function queryCommand(
     goal: options?.goal,
     limit: options?.limit ? parseInt(options.limit) : undefined,
     include_content: options?.content ?? false,
+    includeTests: options?.includeTests ?? false,
     repo: options?.repo,
   });
   output(result);
diff --git a/gitnexus/src/mcp/local/local-backend.ts b/gitnexus/src/mcp/local/local-backend.ts
index cf9ab483b..20105ba70 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/mcp/local/local-backend.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/mcp/local/local-backend.ts
@@ -924,6 +924,7 @@ export class LocalBackend {
       limit?: number;
       max_symbols?: number;
       include_content?: boolean;
+      includeTests?: boolean;
     },
   ): Promise<any> {
     if (!params.query?.trim()) {
@@ -935,6 +936,7 @@ export class LocalBackend {
     const processLimit = params.limit || 5;
     const maxSymbolsPerProcess = params.max_symbols || 10;
     const includeContent = params.include_content ?? false;
+    const includeTests = params.includeTests ?? false;
     const searchQuery = params.query.trim();
 
     // Per-phase timing instrumentation (#553). Records wall time for each
@@ -989,8 +991,13 @@ export class LocalBackend {
       }
     }
 
+    // Exclude test files by default so production paths outrank tests. Mirrors
+    // the include_tests opt-in convention already used by impact. Filter at the
+    // merge step so excluded items never incur the per-symbol STEP_IN_PROCESS
+    // round-trip.
     const merged = Array.from(scoreMap.entries())
       .sort((a, b) => b[1].score - a[1].score)
+      .filter(([, item]) => includeTests || !isTestFilePath(item.data.filePath || ''))
       .slice(0, searchLimit);
     timer.stop(); // merge
 
diff --git a/gitnexus/src/mcp/tools.ts b/gitnexus/src/mcp/tools.ts
index 15b7dc7d4..efee529b1 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/mcp/tools.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/mcp/tools.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ SERVICE: optional monorepo path prefix (POSIX-style, case-sensitive segments). W
           description: 'Include full symbol source code (default: false)',
           default: false,
         },
+        includeTests: {
+          type: 'boolean',
+          description: 'Include test files in results (default: false, matching impact)',
+          default: false,
+        },
         repo: {
           type: 'string',
           description:
diff --git a/gitnexus/test/unit/calltool-dispatch.test.ts b/gitnexus/test/unit/calltool-dispatch.test.ts
index 9596d6b7a..4017ceb54 100644
--- a/gitnexus/test/unit/calltool-dispatch.test.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/test/unit/calltool-dispatch.test.ts
@@ -357,6 +357,80 @@ describe('LocalBackend.callTool', () => {
     expect(result.error).toContain('query parameter is required');
   });
 
+  it('query excludes test-file results by default (matches impact precedent)', async () => {
+    const { searchFTSFromLbug } = await import('../../src/core/search/bm25-index.js');
+    (searchFTSFromLbug as any).mockResolvedValue({
+      results: [
+        { filePath: 'src/auth.ts', score: 1.0 },
+        { filePath: 'src/auth.test.ts', score: 1.0 },
+        { filePath: 'src/__tests__/login.ts', score: 1.0 },
+      ],
+      ftsAvailable: true,
+    });
+    (executeParameterized as any).mockImplementation(
+      (_repoId: string, cypher: string, params: any) => {
+        if (cypher.includes('n.filePath = $filePath')) {
+          return Promise.resolve([
+            {
+              id: `${params.filePath}#sym`,
+              name: 'foo',
+              type: 'Function',
+              filePath: params.filePath,
+              startLine: 1,
+              endLine: 10,
+            },
+          ]);
+        }
+        return Promise.resolve([]);
+      },
+    );
+
+    const result = await backend.callTool('query', { query: 'auth' });
+    const allPaths = [
+      ...(result.process_symbols ?? []).map((s: any) => s.filePath),
+      ...(result.definitions ?? []).map((d: any) => d.filePath),
+    ];
+    expect(allPaths).toContain('src/auth.ts');
+    expect(allPaths.some((p: string) => p.endsWith('.test.ts'))).toBe(false);
+    expect(allPaths.some((p: string) => p.includes('__tests__'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('query includes test-file results when includeTests is true', async () => {
+    const { searchFTSFromLbug } = await import('../../src/core/search/bm25-index.js');
+    (searchFTSFromLbug as any).mockResolvedValue({
+      results: [
+        { filePath: 'src/auth.ts', score: 1.0 },
+        { filePath: 'src/auth.test.ts', score: 1.0 },
+      ],
+      ftsAvailable: true,
+    });
+    (executeParameterized as any).mockImplementation(
+      (_repoId: string, cypher: string, params: any) => {
+        if (cypher.includes('n.filePath = $filePath')) {
+          return Promise.resolve([
+            {
+              id: `${params.filePath}#sym`,
+              name: 'foo',
+              type: 'Function',
+              filePath: params.filePath,
+              startLine: 1,
+              endLine: 10,
+            },
+          ]);
+        }
+        return Promise.resolve([]);
+      },
+    );
+
+    const result = await backend.callTool('query', { query: 'auth', includeTests: true });
+    const allPaths = [
+      ...(result.process_symbols ?? []).map((s: any) => s.filePath),
+      ...(result.definitions ?? []).map((d: any) => d.filePath),
+    ];
+    expect(allPaths).toContain('src/auth.ts');
+    expect(allPaths.some((p: string) => p.endsWith('.test.ts'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('dispatches cypher tool and blocks write queries', async () => {
     (executeParameterized as any).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('read-only database'));
     const result = await backend.callTool('cypher', { query: 'CREATE (n:Test)' });